Page 16-Friday, August 3, 1979-The Michigan Daily
HOLDS ONE-SHOT PGA LEAD
Watson scalds 'monster' with 66
By BOB EMORY
SpecialtoTheDaily
BIRMINGHAM - So much for Tom
Watson's game being on the rocks. Af-
ter winning the Memorial Tournament
last May in Muirfield, Ohio, the man
who is considered the game's premier
player hadn't lived up to that
reputation. He missed the cut in the
U.S. Onen and failed to break oar in the
the PGA, including a thirteen over par
performance in the British Open two
weeks ago that left him tied for 26th.
But in the opening round of the PGA
Championship yesterday, Watson
broke out of his brief slump and slew
the 'monster', or Oakland Hills by its
proper name with a four under par 66
that put him in front by one stroke over
unheralded Rex Caldwell, who shot an
Watson, who again has
receiving instructions from his p
tutor Byron Nelson all week, m
five birdies and only one bogey
massive Oakland Hills south cou
claimed, "It's exciting to be
well again."
WATSON, however, wasn't tl
one who played well on the 7.0
suburban Detroit layout - a ca
which no one had ever broken
win any of the previous five
championships that have been
here. The on-again-off-again rain
last couple of days have softene
greens considerably, enabling
to shoot at the pin with allt
curacy of a dart player. Fifteen
in all broke par 70 and ten equal]
score.
Onetime tour winner Ron St
two strokes back with a 68, as
Haas and after that, there's 111
in a logjam at 69, including Bei
shaw, 49-year-old Don Januar
U.S. Open champion' Hubert
1976 Open champion Jerry Pa
1975 Open champion and last
Philadelphia Classic winne
Graham.
JANUARY and Streck
blistered the front nine with 32s.I
played the front in 33. "I drove t
very well today and that's an
tage on this course," said Watso
had blamed his poor showing in t
Open on his erratic driving.
"I didn't make too many mist
got away with a few bad shots
the last hole where I was buried
GEORGE BURNS, III blasts from the sand to the eighth green at Oakland
Hills yesterday during first round play in the PGA championship. Burns
carded a 71, putting him five shots behind first round leader Tom Watson.
SPORTS OF THE DAILY:
Blue icer assistant steps down
been right hand bunker and had to come out
ersonal sideways and couldn't go for the flag.
anaged But I almost made that next chip for a
on the par."
rse and
playing Despite all the subpar rounds, many
players don't feel they're an indication
of things to come. The sun came out
he only towards the middle of the day and
14-yard began drying out the greens. Once that
urse on happens, say many of the players, the
par to greens will regain their normal
major quickness and the huge swells and un-
played dulations will begin to take their toll.
ns of the
d up the As usual, the opening round of one of
players the four major championships had its
the ac- share of oddities - like a slew of
players unknown, but soon-to-fade contenders,
led that a hole in one and some strange-looking
skies as the result of the fickle
reck is Michigan weather.
is Jay Frank Conner, the former tennis pro
players who has yet to win on the pro golf tour,
n Cren- nailed the ace. He hammered a 225-
y, 1977 yard three wood on the par three ninth
Green, hole that took two bounces and went
ate and straight into the cup. Conner fired an
week's even par 70.
r Lou Although he's not an unknown, Rex
Caldwell certainly isn't a household
name like Arnold Palmer or Jack
Nicklaus. He's not even as well known
really as a Gibby Gilbert or a David Graham,
Watson who both posted 69s. But he is more
he ball known than Jim Masserio, a club pro
advan- from Cleveland who also shot a69.
n, who Said Caldwell: "Today was one of
he U.S. those rounds that you'd like to play
every day. I'll take my 67, this isn't the
akes. I type of course you can get greedy on."
except
d in the
rnie hints
he might
hang it up
former BIR MING HA M (UPDI-A rnol d
Palmer, despondent over virtually
Pioneer shooting himself out of the $350,000 PGA
part of with an opening round 81, hinted
hockey yesterday he might curtail his play if he
continues to shoot bad golf.
-UPI "I'm not going to go out and shoot 80s
very often andcontinue to play," said
Palmer, who will be 50 Sept. 10. "That's
tookie out of the question."
ay be Palmer, who is 151st on the tour
Basket- money winning list with earnings of
ortland only $7,643 and has not won in the
nonths, United States since 1973, still gathered
. an army of fans as he shota round of 41-
has a 40-81. That was 11 shots over Oakland
nidway Hills' par.
"I felt like I was playing better," he
injured said after his round, which included a
maging pair of double bogeys, nine bogeys and
ketball only two birdies. "But I guess it was
just a figment of my imagination
roperly "I just can't seem to put it together
rs un- any more," Palmer said. "I just play
awful.
-AP "There's no pattern to my game any
more. There's nothing there to
stimulate me and make me go. It's a
mental thing.
"There are times," Palmer sighed,
"when I still think I can go out there
and do the things I used to do-but it
doesn't happen." V
Palmer was in the sand, of which
there is plenty at Oakland Hills, more
than he was on the fairways or greens.
Still, a dwindling number of fans
followed their legend.
PORT HURON-Doug Hinton, the
assistant coach of the Wolverine hockey
squad, was tabbed yesterday as new
head coach of the Port Huron Flags of
the International Hockey League.
Hinton, who worked under Dan
Farrell at Michigan, will replace Ron
Ullyott, who has signed a two-year con-
tract to coach the Fort Worth franchise
of the Central Hockey League.
Hinton, a 1970 Michigan Tech
graduate, played professionally in the
Red Wing system for four seasons,
working for Tulsa and Fort Worth of the
CHL. Hinton joined Farrell at Michigan
in 1974, highlighting his Michigan
career when the Wolverines went all
the way to the NCAA finals before
bowing to Wisconsin in 1976-77.
Ashe hospitalized
NEW YORK-Tennis star Arthur
Ashe suffered chest discomfort yester-
day and was moved to the intensive-
care unit at New York Hospital "as a
purely precautionary measure," a
spokesman at the hospital said.
Esmen Brennan, vice president for
public affairs, said Ashe's doctor,
whose name was not given, released a
statement saying the 36-year-old tennis
pro "does not have a definite diagnosis
of a heart attack or any other heart
problem.
"HE IS IN intensive care as a purely '
precautionary measure and is not
receiving any unusual treatment."
The doctor said Ashe was "feeling
fine and has no pain" and described the
former Wimbledon champion as being
in "good spirits."
Brennan said the tennis pro was
currently undergoing further tests.
He said, "There is stillthe possibility
of a heart problem. There has been no
definite diagnosis one way or another."
Brennan said Ashe checked into the
hospital Tuesday night complaining of
chest pain and weakness.
-AP
'M' golfer on top
ANN ARBOR-University of Mich-
igan freshman Dave Fardig shot a 1-
over par 73 yesterday to take a one-
stroke first-round lead in the Michigan
State Amateur Medal Golf Champion-
ship.
Trailing Fardig, an Ann Arbor
resident, with a 2-over par 74 was Wink
McLaughlin of East Lansing, a
Michigan State University student and
member of the MSU golf team.
Five golfers were tied at 4-over par 74
and five more were deadlocked at 5-
over par 78.
PLAY RESUMES today in the 72-hole
tournament, which is sponsored by the
Michigan Amateur Golf Association
and runs through Sunday.
Fardig is a member of Michigan's
golf squad, which is coached by
touring pro Tom Simon.
A graduate of Ann Arbor F
High School, Fardig also played
a season with the Wolverine
squad.
Thompson injured
PORTLAND, Ore.-All-R
forward Mychal Thompson m
unable to compete in National I
ball Association play for the P
Trail Blazers for three to sixn
the team's doctor said yesterday
Robert Cook said Thompson
major bone fracture aboutn
between his left knee and ankle.
THE 6-FOOT-10 Thompson1
his leg Monday while scrimr
with the Bahamas national bas
team.
Cook said the break seems p
aligned and surgery appea
necessary.
SCORES
Pro Baseball
National League
Si. Louis5. Pisburgh 4
Atlanta 7, San Diego 2
MontrealS9, chicago 4
Philadelphia 7. New York 4
(first game of twinbill)
Exhibition Football
E oustoen9,St. LoulisT